of the Neilgherries* 



71 



is in foliage alone that their heauty consists. The Rhododendron^ 

 however, produces magnificent flowers, and may he said to compensate, 

 in this respect, for the deficiencies of the rest. The Michelia is also a 

 handsome flowering tree, hut is not equal to some of the American Mag- 

 noliacece. One of the neatest trees is a species, apparently, of Syzy- 

 gium, with a nearly round leaf ; it is generally grouped in small clumps 

 with the Laurus and Arbutus. These three seem hardy, and not 

 injured by frost ; their recently expanded leaves are beautifully coloured. 

 The Laurus has a large fruit, with the seed nearly on the outside, ap- 

 proaching in character to Anacardium ; there are besides two other 

 species of the bay tree. The Arbutus is a curiosity, being at least 40 

 feet high and a stout forest tree. Two species of Viburnum are com- 

 mon, but they are inferior in appearance to their congener the Laurus- 

 tinus. Among remarkable plants is the Berberis Leschenaultii, a fine 

 evergreen shrub, with pinnate leaves of a bright shining green. Seve- 

 ral other species, with the pinnate leaf, have lately been brought to 

 England, from Nepal and California, and are in great request as orna- 

 mental evergreens. Another, the Berberis tinctoria, much resembles 

 the common barberry ; it is found in great abundance on the north side 

 of the table land near Billicul, where, also, is to be found a neat species 

 of Carissa, well adapted for low hedges, smaller than the C. Carandas^ 

 and larger than the C. spinarum, it differs from the latter in the leaf 

 which is not conspicuously veined. 



Among the few plants having showy flowers, are the Sonerila, 

 Osbeckia, Exacum, Kalanchoe and Pedicularis. The Kalanchoe 

 grandiflora is the plant that has been likened to a primrose, but it is a 

 succulent under-shrub, of the natural order Crassulacew, bearing 

 cymes of yellow scented flowers. Neither the Primula nor Androsacea 

 are to be met with in the woods; the climate is not perhaps suffi- 

 ciently alpine for the latter, but the former might be expected, if with- 

 in reach, to keep pace with the Viola which commences even below 

 the passes. The m ost truly alpine plant, hitherto found, appears to 

 he a species of Alchemilla, near the summit of Dodabetta. The 

 Potentilla resembles in flower the common Torment ilia of England, 

 and is not to be compared with the P. formosa and atrosanguinea of 

 Nepal. The Eooacum, that covers the fields so profusely during 

 November, is scarcely ornamental, but another species, near the west- 

 ern passes, is an interesting plant. The flower is large, of a white 

 colour, tipped with blue; another similar species, or variety, occurs 

 near Koonoor, of a blue colour throughout. The Ranunculus sub~ 

 pinnatus very much resembles the common crowfoot ; another sort, the 

 R. reniformis, is common in the swamps, and R. Wallichianus in shady 

 woods. The Anemone Wightiana has a small white mellifluous flower, 

 of the size of the wood anemone, but in foliage it resembles a crane- 



